''Marchantia polymorpha'' is a species of large thalloid

liverwort Liverworts are a group of non-vascular land plants forming the division Marchantiophyta (). They may also be referred to as hepatics. Like mosses and hornworts, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry ...

in the class Marchantiopsida. ''M. polymorpha'' is highly variable in appearance and contains several

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

. This species is

dioicous Dioicy () is a sexual system in non-vascular plants where archegonia (female organs) and antheridia (male organs) are produced on separate plants in the gametophyte phase. It is one of the two main sexual systems in bryophytes, the other being ...

, having separate male and female plants. ''M. polymorpha'' has a wide distribution and is found worldwide.Matthews, Robin F. 1993. Marchantia polymorpha. In: Fire Effects Information System, nline U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/bryophyte/marpol/all.html 017, December 8 Common names include common liverwort or umbrella liverwort.

Distribution

''Marchantia polymorpha'' subsp. ''ruderalis'' has a circumpolar boreo-arctic

cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Internationalism * World citizen, one who eschews traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship * Cosmopolitanism, the idea that all of humanity belongs to a single moral community * Cosmopolitan ...

distribution, found worldwide on all continents except Antarctica.

Habitat

''Marchantia polymorpha'' grows on shaded moist soil and rocks in damp

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s such as the banks of streams and pools,

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and musk ...

fen A fen is a type of peat-accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich ground or surface water. It is one of the main types of wetland along with marshes, swamps, and bogs. Bogs and fens, both peat-forming ecosystems, are also known as mires ...

s and

dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

slacks. While most varieties grow on moist substrates, ''Marchantia polymorpha'' var. ''aquatica'' is semi-aquatic and is often found invading marshes, as well as small ponds that do not have a consistent water table. The species often grows in man-made habitats such as gardens, paths and

greenhouse A greenhouse is a structure that is designed to regulate the temperature and humidity of the environment inside. There are different types of greenhouses, but they all have large areas covered with transparent materials that let sunlight pass an ...

s and can be a

horticultural Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, growing where it conflicts with human preferences, needs, or goals.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. Pla ...

. One method of spread is in the production and sale of liners. Liners infested with ''M. polymorpha'', often in association with silvery thread moss, are commonly grown in one region of the country, transported to another region to continue growth, and are shipped to a retail location before being planted. Plants have the potential to pick up or disperse these species at each point of transfer. ''Marchantia polymorpha'' is known to be able to use

artificial light Lighting or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight. ...

to grow in places which are otherwise devoid of natural light. A study from Niagara Cave showed that under such conditions, ''Marchantia polymorpha'' was able to produce gemmae, indicating that the plant could be able to reproduce in illuminated caves. It has also been reported from Crystal Cave in

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

Ecology

An important benefit of ''M. polymorpha'' is that it is frequently the first vegetation to appear after a large wildfire. Exposed mineral soil and high lime concentrations present after a severe fire provide favorable conditions for gametophyte establishment. After invading the burned area, ''M. polymorpha'' grows rapidly, sometimes covering the entire site. This is important to the prevention of soil erosion that frequently occurs after severe fires, causing significant, long-term, environmental damage. In addition, ''M. polymorpha'' renews the humus in the burned soil, and over time raises the quality of the soil to a point where other vegetation can be established. Not only does common liverwort secure burned soil and improve its quality, but after a certain point, when the

soil health Soil health is a state of a soil meeting its range of ecosystem functions as appropriate to its environment. In more colloquial terms, the health of soil arises from favorable interactions of all soil components (living and non-living) that belong ...

is restored, it can no longer compete with the vegetation that originally inhabited the area. In a USDA study in northeastern Minnesota, ''M. polymorpha'' dominated the landscape for 3 years after a severe fire, but after 5 years was replaced by lichen. After a similar fire in New Jersey ''M. polymorpha'' covered the ground for 2–3 years, but was then replaced with local shrubs and forbs. In Alaska the following vegetative successions were observed after a fire, again indicating that after soil rehabilitation has occurred the original flora returns and outcompetes ''M. polymorpha''.

Morphology

Marchantia polymorpha ruderalis 153518127

It is a thallose liverwort which forms a rosette of flattened thalli with forked branches. The thalli grow up to 10cm long with a width of up to 2cm. It is usually green in colour but older plants can become brown or purplish. The upper surface has a pattern of polygonal markings. The underside is covered by many root-like

rhizoid Rhizoids are protuberances that extend from the lower epidermal cells of bryophytes and algae. They are similar in structure and function to the root hairs of vascular land plants. Similar structures are formed by some fungi. Rhizoids may be un ...

s which attach the plant to the soil. The complex oil bodies in ''Marchantia polymorpha'', as in all Marchantiopsida species, are restricted to specialized cells where they occupy nearly the entire

intracellular space Intracellular space is the interior space of the plasma membrane The cell membrane (also known as the plasma membrane or cytoplasmic membrane, and historically referred to as the plasmalemma) is a biological membrane that separates and prote ...

Life cycle and reproduction

Cycle_de_reproduction_de_Marchantia_polymorpha

Life cycle

The life cycle has an

alternation of generations Alternation of generations (also known as metagenesis or heterogenesis) is the predominant type of life cycle in plants and algae. In plants both phases are multicellular: the haploid sexual phase – the gametophyte – alternates with a diploi ...

Haploid Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell (biology), cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for Autosome, autosomal and Pseudoautosomal region, pseudoautosomal genes. Here ''sets of chromosomes'' refers to the num ...

gametophytes produces haploid

gametes A gamete ( ) is a haploid cell that fuses with another haploid cell during fertilization in organisms that reproduce sexually. Gametes are an organism's reproductive cells, also referred to as sex cells. The name gamete was introduced by the Ge ...

, egg and sperm, which then fuse to form a

diploid Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for autosomal and pseudoautosomal genes. Here ''sets of chromosomes'' refers to the number of maternal and paternal chromosome copies, ...

zygote A zygote (; , ) is a eukaryote, eukaryotic cell (biology), cell formed by a fertilization event between two gametes. The zygote's genome is a combination of the DNA in each gamete, and contains all of the genetic information of a new individ ...

. The zygote later develops into a sporophyte which later produces haploid spores through

meiosis Meiosis () is a special type of cell division of germ cells in sexually-reproducing organisms that produces the gametes, the sperm or egg cells. It involves two rounds of division that ultimately result in four cells, each with only one c ...

Reproduction

Sexual reproduction

The plants produce umbrella-like reproductive structures known as gametangiophores. The gametangiophores of female plants (also known as archegoniophores) consist of a stalk with star-like rays at the top. These contain archegonia, the organs which produce the ova. Male gametangiophores (also known as antheridiophores) are topped by a flattened disc containing the antheridia which produce

sperm Sperm (: sperm or sperms) is the male reproductive Cell (biology), cell, or gamete, in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction (forms in which there is a larger, female reproductive cell and a smaller, male one). Animals produce motile sperm ...

Asexual reproduction

This species reproduces asexually by gemmae that are produced within gemma cups. Gemmae are lentil shaped and are released by droplets of water. Plants produced in this way can expand a patch significantly.

Bioindicator for pollution

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has studied ''M. polymorpha'' for its use in rehabilitating disturbed sites due to its ability to tolerate high lead concentrations in soils, along with other heavy metals. In turn, ''M. polymorpha'' colonies can be an indication that a site has high concentrations of heavy metals, especially when found in dense mats with little other vegetative species present. A study from Loja city in tropical

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

found that, when growing in an urban setting, ''M. polymorpha'' bioaccumulated four heavy metals,

aluminium Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...

iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...

and

zinc Zinc is a chemical element; it has symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodic tabl ...

Human use

It has historically been thought to remedy liver ailments because of its perceived similarities to the shape and texture of animal livers. This is an example of the doctrine of signatures. ''Marchantia polymorpha'' produces the antifungal bis ibenzyls dihydrostilbenoids plagiochin E, 13,13'-O-isoproylidenericcardin D, riccardin H, marchantin E, neomarchantin A, marchantin A and marchantin B. Its strong fungicidal capability has been used successfully in the treatment of skin and nail fungi.

Gallery

File:Modell von Marchantia polymorpha, ganzer weiblicher Hut -Brendel Nr. 140-.jpg, Archegoniophore File:Modell des Archegoniums von Marchantia polymorpha -Brendel Nr. 141-.jpg, Archegonium File:Modell von Marchantia polymorpha, Sporangium -Brendel Nr. 144-.jpg, Sporangium File:Modell von Marchantia polymorpha, Brutbecher mit Brutknospen -Brendel Nr. 142-.jpg, Gemmae cup File:Modell von Marchantia polymorpha, Brutknospe -Brendel Nr. 148-.jpg, Gemma

References

* Altland, James
''Marchantia polymorpha''
Accessed 4 July 2009. * British Bryological Society (2010
''Marchantia polymorpha''
Accessed 22 October 2018. * Matthews, Robin F. (1993

Accessed 4 July 2009. * Raven, Peter H.; Ray F. Evert & Susan E. Eichhorn (1999) ''Biology of Plants'', W. H. Freeman, New York. * Rook, Earl J. S. (1999

Accessed 4 July 2009. * Smith, AJE (1989) ''The Liverworts of Britain and Ireland'', Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. * Walkowiak, Radoslaw Janusz (2020
''Short Notes of Marchantia polymorpha''
CTC PAPER 2020.

External links

* *

{{Taxonbar, from=Q992846 Marchantiales Plant models